Submersible pumping systems are often deployed into wells to recover petroleum fluids from subterranean reservoirs. Typically, a submersible pumping system includes a number of components, including an electric motor coupled to one or more pump assemblies. Production tubing is connected to the pump assemblies to deliver the wellbore fluids from the subterranean reservoir to a storage facility on the surface.
With advancements in drilling technology, it is now possible to accurately drill wells with multiple horizontal deviations. Horizontal wells are particularly prevalent in unconventional shale plays, where vertical depths may range up to about 10,000 feet with lateral sections extending up to 8,000 feet. In these highly deviated wells, it can be difficult or impossible to fully deploy a conventional electric submersible pump (ESP). The ESP is typically installed in the vertical section of the well at some distance from the lateral sections.
The current deployment of ESPs in deviated wells has not been highly successful. Often, large slugs of gas accumulate in the lateral sections of the well and then move into the ESP. The large pockets of gas can cause the ESP to stop producing and possibly overheat. Past attempts at addressing the gas slugging problem have not produced desirable results. There is therefore a continued need for an improved ESP design that is more resistant to gas slugging problems experienced in a deviated wellbore. It is to these and other deficiencies in the prior art that the present invention is directed.